BEFORE THE QUEST ---------------- Quest approval forms are available for download on the StrangeMUD website at http://www.strangemud.net/downloads.htm. They should be completed and returned via e-mail to a TIN+. Once your form has been reviewed, it will be sent back to you with the name of the approving god, and any suggestions or ideas regarding your quest. You may then proceed, keeping such ideas in mind. NOTE: For a brief summary of helpful commands that may be granted for quest purposes, please refer to the bottom of the quest application itself. TYPES OF QUESTS --------------- There are many kinds of quests, though most can be divided into two fundamental types: 1) Spontaneous quests*, which usually consist of instructing mortals to find and return an item(s), kill a certain mob(s) (which the questrunner may be switched into), or a game of hide-and-seek, in which the questers must travel the MUD in search of the questrunner. 2) Detailed quests, which require a bit of advance planning and may be scheduled for a certain time, when the quest will occur regardless of the number of questers online. (Notice of these quests should be posted on the quest bulletin board in room 3005, the Midgaard temple square.) These should include riddles, strategically placed notes/clues, and contain a plot requiring questers to TALK to gods switched into mobs, rather than simply kill them. Special commands and participation of other gods may be requested for these quests. *Note: Approval forms are required for detailed quests ONLY. Spontaneous quests may be approved by a TIN+ who is online, or by email/mudmail to a TIN+ without the form.* QUEST ASSISTANCE ---------------- Ideally, a TIN+ should be online to witness a quest. Said god will observe mortals' reactions to the quest, provide any assistance the questrunner may need, and generally help things run more smoothly. Feel free to set a time limit for quest completion, especially if the plot advances DURING the quest (ie, a stolen object or an NPC hostage changes hands) -- not all quests must be completed. Time limits are also good if the questmaster or TIN+ witness has a schedule to keep (that pesky thing called real life, don'tcha know ;). Watch the quest time carefully, and make certain it is kept. PRIZES ------ StrangeMUD has recently switched to the quest points system, whereby players earn quest points by participation and may later trade them in for certain equipment. 'Help qitems' should have an updated list of these items. A good rule of thumb is 1 qp per participant (those who take part in 75% or more of the quest), with an additional point for the group MVP (to be decided by the group or the questrunner hirself, at the discretion of the quest's supervisor). Exceedingly difficult quests may result in awards of up to 2 qp per participant, with 3 for the MVP, NEVER ANY MORE THAN THIS. There are better ways to reward. Should the equipment collected be of an extremely rare nature and fall under the category of reward unto itself, only 1 qp should be awarded to all participants and the MVP may choose hir equipment first, before any dicing for equipment occurs. While lack of many good quests in the past has spoiled many of the mortals in StrangeMUD's playerbase to expect overwhelming rewards, questmasters SHOULD NOT feel obligated to meet players' demands in this arena. (One of their favorite tricks is to ask, 'That's it?' when they receive the approved quest prize. Don't fall for it; giving out more than the approved reward WILL result in disciplinary action and TIN+ loss of trust in the offending questrunner.) ** NO PRIZES MAY BE AWARDED WITHOUT Pre-Quest APPROVAL. ** USE COMMON SENSE(tm) -------------------- Remember that not all quests have to be impossible death quests. Many questrunners mistakenly appeal to higher level characters by creating very difficult hack n'slash quests that merely involve killing two or three of the most difficult mobs in the game, and want to reward the questers with extravagant amounts of gold or limited equipment. A good questrunner will create quests with an audience in mind, and run newbie quests as well as mid- to high-level quests, thereby appealing to *all* players. Many players simply appreciate a quest to break the monotony of daily MUD life, and a well-planned quest with riddles and a storyline can be great fun for all involved. To ensure that all players are given the opportunity to participate in quests, it is now mandatory that questrunners list the level of their last quest on their approval forms. For every high-level quest, questrunners are required to run one newbie quest and one mid-level quest before another high-level quest will be approved. QUEST TOOLS ----------- For a summary of commands useful for running quests, type HELP QUEST COMMANDS. WHEN IT'S OVER... ----------------- Feel free to post the quest's results on the quest bulletin board in room 3005 (temple square). Most morts like to know the outcome of quests, and the participants enjoy seeing their names in lights. Included should be a list of participants and the MVP, and how they solved the quest. Questrunners should immediately complete a quest summary and forward it to dodita@austin.rr.com, along with a copy of the quest's approval form. Quest summary forms are available from any TIN+, or by download at http://www.strangemud.net/downloads.htm. Credit will only be given for quests mailed to the correct address with both forms (the approval form may be an attached file or part of the actual text). Questmasters who do not complete and return both forms upon quest completion (no later than three days following the quest) may find their quest nullified at the discretion of the administration. HAVE FUN! --------- Questrunners should remember that, like any skill, running good quests takes practice and a good amount of trial and error. New and innovative ideas are encouraged, and helpful feedback from more experienced gods is almost always available. Participating in quests as a mortal, playing a mortal regularly, and observing or helping other gods with their quests all provide insight and new perspectives that may aid questrunners in quest creation. Above all, have FUN. Don't take your quests too seriously, or get upset if something goes awry (no quest *ever* goes off without a hitch), as the questers will pick up on negativity and lose interest in the quest. However, keep in mind we are watching :P Happy questing! Original QuestManual text written by Caila (caila@strangemud.org) 1/31/96 Revised 12/4/97 Updated by Hitman 4/22/97 Revised 4/27/97 Updated by Caila 9/25/98 Updated by Caila 10/15/98